Messi the boost that Argentina needed

Lionel Messi once again finding the back of the net was what has been most highlighted about Argentina's 5-0 victory over Panama on Saturday night.

The win allowed Argentina to sail through to the quarter finals of the 2016 Centennial Copa America which is taking place in the United States.

The Argentine captain returned to the pitch for the first time since May 27, after receiving a blow to the hip in a friendly against Honduras.

Despite winning comfortably, Argentina's play for most of the match was inferior to their performance in their opening match against Chile, which they won 2-1.

Messi came on to the pitch as a substitute in the 62nd minute and within just 25 minutes of being on the field he had scored a hat trick, the fourth time he has done so with Argentina's national team, even though Diego Maradona saying Messi has no "personality" for being a leader was still fresh in the fans' minds.

With their star on the pitch, Gerardo Martino's Argentina proved to be too much for their opponent who spent over half the match with 10 men after Anibal Godoy was sent off in the 31st minute after receiving two yellow cards.

However, Argentina, which is seeking to finish top of Group D after the final match in the group stage against Bolivia on Tuesday, made a worrying announcement on Saturday. One of their top players, Paris Saint-Germain's star Angel Di Maria sustained a right-leg injury during the match.

The left midfielder asked to be substituted two minutes before the end of the first half and, depending on the seriousness of the injury, could be forced to withdraw from the rest of the tournament. Endit